This invention relates generally to an internal combustion engine inlet air cooling system and more particularly to an inlet air cooling system driven by an exhaust gas turbine of an engine.
It is conventional for supercharged or turbocharged engines to have a system for cooling the inlet air to approximately the temperature of the ambient air adjacent the engine. Otherwise, the inlet air would be at a higher temperature due to the heat of compression, which could result in poor engine operation. It is also recognized that engines benefit from the inlet air being cooled below the ambient air temperature. In particular, refrigeration below ambient can provide a combination of reduced specific NO.sub.x emissions, increased specific power and increased efficiency. The method most generally used for reducing specific NO.sub.x emissions, leaning the engine mixture, causes a reduction in specific power and may cause a loss of efficiency.
The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in present inlet air cooling systems. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including features more fully disclosed hereinafter.